Two people killed and 40 injured after luxury bus has horror crash on New Jersey turnpike

A luxury tour bus from New York City's Chinatown to Philadelphia crashed last night on one of the nation's most heavily trafficked highways, killing the driver and another person.

The driver, a 50-year-old Taiwanese national, was killed after the crash sent him flying through the windshield and a male passenger died after being taken to hospital.

Several other passengers were badly injured, according to police reports.

Horror: The bus was travelling south on the New Jersey Turnpike at around 9pm when the crash occurred

Traffic: Two lanes were closed southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike after the smash

About 40 passengers were sent to area hospitals, and at least five were in a trauma unit, state police Sergeant Stephen Jones said. Police believe there were 44 or 45 people on the bus, which was a private charter.

The one-vehicle crash happened just days after a bus from an Uncasville, Connecticut, casino crashed as it was returning to New York City's Chinatown neighbourhood in downtown Manhattan, killing 15 people.

The bus in yesterday's crash, operated by a Pennsylvania company, is believed to have entered the grass along the centre median before it struck an overpass support and hit an embankment along the right side of the road, Jones said.

It was travelling south on the turnpike just south of Exit 9 in East Brunswick, about 40 miles south-west of Manhattan, at around 9pm when the crash occurred. The didn't flip onto its side as was initially believed, police said.

The turnpike, which handled more than 235 million vehicles two years ago, generally has five lanes in each direction. The crash closed two southbound outer lanes. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

The white tour bus had no visible signage on it. After the crash, it came to a stop at an angle with its damaged front section pointed off the highway and on the grassy median.

The bus was moved overnight to an impound lot. State police said it would be mechanically inspected and all available data would be taken from its electronic components.

The bus was operated by Super Luxury Tours Inc., of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., New Jersey state police said. No website or telephone listing for the company could be found.

The driver was from the Forest Hills neighbourhood of Queens, one of New York City's five boroughs.